This article introduces a theoretical framework for studying school improvement processes such as making school environments safer. Using concepts from spatial theory, in which distinctions between mental, social and physical space are applied makes for a multidimensional analysis of processes of change. In a multilevel case study, these were…

Government schools in Abu Dhabi, as part of wide-scale educational reforms undertaken in the whole of the United Arab Emirates, have undergone massive school improvement developments over the past seven years. Over the course of these years, the reality of student life for those in government schools has been widely altered. This research explores…

The present questionnaire-based study examines the views of 428 Greek students (aged 13-18 years) from 30 secondary education schools in Athens, who have experienced cooperative learning in group work--an instructional learning strategy not often implemented in Greek schools. The research focuses on students' preferences as regards the composition…

Transition from primary to secondary school is an important but neglected topic. For this review, 88 studies were selected from 325 possible studies, as including substantive data related to transition. The teacher's perspective and the child's perspective were very different, the former principally concerned with attainment and the latter…

This article argues that accessing and taking note of the voice of pupils is critical in working towards removing barriers to effective learning. Pupil voice was accessed using an innovative form of group interview incorporating an Ishikawa or fishbone tool and card sorting exercise. The data were collected from 132 pupils, from Years 7 to 9 (aged…

The education system in the United States is under pressure from a variety of sources to reform and improve the delivery of educational services to students. Change across a system as complex and dynamic as the educational system requires a systemic approach and requires the participation or buy-in of all participants and stakeholders. This…

In this article, the researchers discuss school improvement for social justice in Beirut, Lebanon. They introduce the Lebanese context: its schooling systems, the revised Lebanese National Curriculum, and the issues under investigation: socioeconomic, political, as well as inclusion/exclusion. The data were collected through semi-structured…

This article describes the early stages in the formation of a partnership between the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education and a group of secondary schools to develop a variety of approaches to student participation. The article focuses primarily on research undertaken by over 100 students in 12 secondary schools in Kent, and the Highest…

The recent focus on pupil involvement in all aspects of education, including the school improvement agenda, has led to an increasing number of pupils being consulted on various aspects of school life and involved in a range of peer support schemes. Accompanying the proliferation of pupil involvement has been the development of training initiatives…

Learning mentoring programmes can be effective tools for increasing social, personal and educational development for young people. This article explores the views of girl mentees who experienced difficulty managing their mentoring programme within their school. Mentoring can be employed in different ways with different pupils to help the overall…

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. People with autistic spectrum disorders experience difficulties with social interaction, social communication and imagination--known as the "triad of impairments". The mainstream school environment…

In early 2003, a Council commissioned a research project involving four secondary schools to get a pupil perspective of the Guidance system. The context for the project was the implementation of the McCrone agreement and, in particular, discussions about the future role of Guidance in secondary and primary, schools. The evidence from the project…